Page 37 of Way Down Deep

8.40pm

Guess what’s on Netflix?! Any interest in that? Or is it one of those childhood movies you’d rather not discover is totally terrible to watch once you’re an adult? I rewatched The Wizard a while back and couldn’t believe how bad it was, considering how much I loved it as a kid. It was basically a two-hour ad.

But some kids’ movies stay great, like The Princess Bride and The Iron Giant, and anything involving Jim Henson. So you never know.

Anyhow, I’d be up for it.

8.57pm

Wine gums, you want wine gums. Do you have wine gums in the US? Some are strawberry and some are lime and then there’s this one that doesn’t taste like anything that exists. That one’s my favourite. I call it the white one, even though it isn’t white at all. It’s sort of translucent and kind of yellow, and yes I realise I’m talking way too much about wine gums.

I didn’t intend to. I want to caps lock you to death about Neverending Story instead. Firstly because you watched it until your VCR chewed it up, which is amazing and stupidly made my heart start beating fast like you’d just declared undying devotion. And then secondly because oh my god let’s watch it IMMEDIATELY.

It has to be that. I don’t care if it doesn’t hold up. I just need to watch it with you, as if we are a completely normal couple slouched together on the couch with our snark radars on red alert.

9.13pm

You, me, Neverending Story. It’s a date. Hit play at precisely 10:30? I should be done with my nightly chores by then, and if the boy’s going to wake it almost never happens before 2am.

10.29pm

You ready, stranger?

I’m ready!

PLAY!

Holy shit, I remember this music!

Okay, so I had totally forgotten how crazy amazing this song was.

It’slike the eighties are assaulting me in the face, and I love it.

That’s it. That’s exactly it. My ears can barely handle the complete eightiesness they’re hearing.

Was he dreaming the credits, or…?

Iwouldn’t putit past this film. His dreams are very red and like a disco in a working men’s club in 1985.

I’m totally takingnotes on single fatherhood.

It’slike his dad is a science teacher who accidentally walked into the wrong house. Start facing your problems?? I think he’s about four years old.

Note to self: tousle the boy’s hair.

Sorry, I got very invested then. I had his exact haircut and suspect kids would have put me in a dumpster as a kid, if we had dumpsters here.

Awww.

I’d tousle your hair, too. If you were here.

And tweak my nose?

Only if it’s consensual.

Everything isconsensual when it comes to you.

Duly noted. Dude, this store is like stranger-danger central.